Well, That Was Easy

Occupy Eugene has moved, and no arrests were made.  That's a good thing, of course.

Indeed, Eugene Police (who have had an armoured personnel carrier for over a decade and aren't afraid to use it) broke out their $1400 cop Cannondales and blocked traffic for the two mile March across the Willamette River (pronounced WillAMette, damnit) and into the massive Alton Baker Park.

The whole thing was taking on the aura of a siege just a couple of days ago.  The planning meetings were (and still are)  held in secret and you can't attend unless you're vouched for--pretty much like the mafia as depicted, in, say Donnie Brasco, except for the whack-you-and-your-family-if-you're-wrong part. This is an attempt to keep out cops, COINTELPRO,  FBI, DHS, and just plain good Germans who somehow buy the absurd admonition spewed from the truly dangerous Janet Napolitano to be a  narc--to become, as Burroughs warned in A Thanksgiving Prayer and elsewhere -- A Nation of Finks.

But suddenly the city is cooperating, despite the dire warnings the legal team received late Thursday that arrests would commence, en masse, belongings seized, and, I think in a particularly cruel twist--dogs sent to the pound. Lane County Animal Control is notoriously  tiny, and a large influx of animals would require  many to be euthanized.  Nice, eh?

But the City Council, Mayor, Chief of Police and City Manager were bombarded with thousands of calls--a phone tree that grew faster than a celebrity sex tape--

Poof.  Crisis averted.  Like ju-jitsu as Ghandi might do it.

So, you know, I was all fired up and LOTS of lawyers massed there, ready for gas and batons and tasers--and then, utter calm.

I admit, 'twas a bit of a comedown.  But the best result, for now.

While I personally don't like the new site, as it is removed from any major traffic, the word is it's just for now.  And the protesters aren't staying put at camp all day.  They sent word they plan to march back into downtown this morning.

So I don the Green Hat, and off I go. I will try to get some decent video and pics up soon.

Peace.